Vestibule-curtain coupling.



M. J. ROCHE. VESTIBULE CURTAIN COUPLlNG.

APPLICATION FILED M1618 I917.

mam/m3 M $300166 ATTORAIEYS Patented L111 21, X918.

By fiwkfi 1 Q@7,Q?QQ

WITNESSES T F l MAURICE J'. ROCHE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VESTIBULE-CURTAIN COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application filed August 28, 1917. Serial No. 188,659.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURICE J. ROCHE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of city of New York, Elmhurst, borough of Queens, in thecounty of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and Improvedvestibule-Curtain Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to curtain holders and particularly to animproved construction for coupling the curtains used on vestibules ofrailway coaches, and has for an object the provision of an improvedstructure which holds the curtain in proper position,

.but will automatically become disengaged when a predetermined strainhas been brought to bear thereon.

Another object in view is to provide a coupler for vestibule curtainsarranged with parts thereof on the curtain and part on the nextvestibule, said parts being interlocking and adjustable, so as toautomatically become released at any desired pull.

A still further object of the invention is to providea coupler forvestibule curtains having a head or knob'with pivotally mount- .ed jawsengaging the same, and a sleeve holding the jaws in position until thecars have separated and pulled the head to a position outside of thesleeve.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, fragmentary, sectional view through theabutting vestibules of two adjacent cars, an embodiment of the inventionbeing shown in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the coupler shown in Fig. 1, certainparts being broken away on approximately line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the coupler shown in Fig. 2, one of thecurtain rods bein shown in connection therewith.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view through the structureshown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary sectional view through Fig. 2 on line5-5.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through Fig. 2 on line 6-6.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail fragmentary sectional view showing adiflerent position of the coupling members to that shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals 1 and 2 indicatecoaches of any desired kind provided with vestibules, car 2 having acurtain 3 mounted thereon and carrying part of the coupler 4, while car1 carries the remaining part. The curtains 3 are usually wound on springrollers which automatically wind up the curtain whenever the curtain isreleased. If the edge of the curtain was connected by a hook orotherwise more or less rigidly to car 1 and the two cars should separatecurtain 3 would unroll to its full length and would then .be torn. Thecoupler 4 is intended to take care of accidents of this kind and toautomatically open when a predetermined tension has been brought to bearthereon, as for instance, when the cars are separated there is an extrapull on curtain 3. As hereinafter described the parts of the coupler 4are made so as to be easily adjusted in order that any desired pull maybe required before the coupler opens. As shown in Fig. 4 the couplerconsists of parts 5 and 6, part 5 being connected to curtain 3 whilepart 6 is connect-ed to the car 1. Part 6 is provided with posts 7screwed or otherwise rigidly secured to the car 1, said posts carrying abar or pin 8 which extends through jaws 13 and 14 and acts as a pintletherefor. Jaw 13 is provided with apertured bosses or sleeves 10 whichare formed with pressed out ears carrying rollers 11, whereby as eitherour moves up and down the parts may freely slide without any tendency ofthe bar 8 binding. Jaw 13 is preferably provided with an extension 15formed with a hook 16 which may be turned around and hooked on curtainbar 17 as shown in Fig. 7 if desired and whenever part 5 is in positionon curtain 3. It is of course, understood when arranged in this manner,namely as shown in Fig. 7, the curtain will become torn in case the carsare pulled apart. The jaws 13 and 14 are each provided with a recess 18which form a conical shaped socket when the jaws are together so as tofit over a conical shaped head 19 on the rod 20. The rod 20 passesloosely through the guide 21 which is screwed or otherwise rigidlysecured to the casing 22, and in addition passes through the spring 23so that the nut 24 may be threaded thereon for varying the tension ofspring 23. A variation in the tension of spring 23 will vary thenecessary pull to separate the aws 13 and 14: from the head 19. Casing22 is formed integral with or -rigidly'securedto clamping base 25 whichis riveted or otherwise secured to curtain 3. The base 251s providedwith members 26 and 27 whlch have secured to their outer ends bars 28and 29 as shown in Fig. 2 whichbars are also supported by brackets 30and 31 secured to curtain 3. rangement if the car is not provided withpart 6 the hook or other. securing means connected withthe car may beinterlocked with. either of the bars 28 and 29 for holding the curtain.in proper position. Surrounding thecasing 22 is a shell or sleeve 33which has an upstanding annular flange 32 fittmg n the brackets 26 and27 as shown in Fig. 5. Springs 34. and 35 are arranged below thetip-standing flange '32 so as to contlnually urge the parts in thesleeve. 33 outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2. When 1n thisposition the sleeve 33 surrounds and snugly fits the jaws 13 and 14 soas to hold the same in engagement with the head 19. Thls engagement willremain until the head 19 and associate parts have been pulled outwardlyagainstthe action of spring 23 to the position. shown. in Fig. 4whereupon the jaws 13 and 14L will separate and then release the head 19and associate parts including curtain 3. In order to lock the sleeve 33in its .outer position one or more bayonet slots 36 are provided insleeve 33 through which pin 31 projects. When the parts are in theposition shown in Figs. 3 and 4; the sleeve is locked in its outerposition, which position is secured by manually rotating the sleeve 33after it has been moved to its outer position. If it should be desiredto uncouple the device at any time :the parts may be pulled apart if theoperator so desires, but preferably sleeve 33 is moved back until theend is flush with the outer face of the guiding member 21 whereupon thejaws will move apart under aslight pull. A reverse movement will alsoclose the coupling, namely a movement of the; jaws in such a directionas to close the head 19 after sleeve has been moved through the casing22 against 1 the action of springs 32. After the jaws have been placedin position the sleeve is forcedto slide thereover and then turned tothe locking position shown in Fig. 3. In. order that the jaws 13 and 11- may normally remaintogether a spring 38 is provided actingagainst theextension 15 against a lock 39.0njaw 14, spring 38 being comparativelysmall and is intended normally to hold the jaws together lightly. Bythis-arrangement of coupler it will be unnecessary for the trainman inuncoupling thecars to bother By this construction and ar-.

with the curtain, as the curtain will automatically uncouple itselfafter the proper strain has been brought to bear on the coupler. Thiswill not only save work, but it will also prevent tearing of the curtainwhen the trainmen forget to uncouple the same.

What I claim is:

1. A. coupler of the character described,

'comprisinga pair of pivotally mounted jaws having a socket therein, ahead fitting into said socket, a sleeve normally surrounding said jaws,a resilient member for normally holding said sleevebver saidjaws andsaid head, means for connecting said head to a curtain, and means forconnecting said jaws to a support. 1 I

2. A. vestibule curtain coupler comprising a base,- a casing connectingwith said base, a guide arranged in said casing, a post on oppositesides-of saidcasing, a coupler head provided with a rod extendingthrough said guide, an adjustable nut arranged 'on' said rod, a springsurrounding the-rodp ositioned between the nut and lguideya pair ofpivotally mounted jaws adapted tosurroun'd said head, a sleeve slidably.mounted on said'c'asing and normally arranged to overlap said head soasto hold the jawsin engagement therewith, a plurality of springsarranged between said posts and said casing for ;normally holding saidsleeve so as-to overlap said .headand said jaws,a-and means connectingsaid j aws-to a support, the arrangement of theisleeves, jaws and headbeing such that the parts will be connected until a pull on the jawsandhead overcome said spring and the jaws move out fromsaidsleev'e.

3. A coupler of the .character described comprising a pair of pivotallymountedjaws having a socket formed with beveled-walls, a casing, a headhaving beveledwallsgfitting the walls of said socket, a rod connectedwith said head eXtendingAinto-said casing, a spring actlngonsaidrod fornormally holding said'head adjacent said casin'g, and

a sleeve carried by saidgcasing normallysur said means for normally:holding the head adjacent said casing,"asleeveslidably mounted on saidcasing normallyoverlapping said head and said jaws, said sleevebeingprovided with up'standing flange, and aspring engaging saidupstanding flange ;for continually urging the sleeve to move in onedirection.

5. A icoupler of the character describecl comprising 1 a base, a pair ofchanneled uprights extending from the base, a casing extending from saidbase between said uprights, a sleeve surrounding said casing, saidsleeve being formed with a flange, a spring arranged in the channel partof each of said uprights engaging the base and the flange for urging thesleeve to move toward the outer end of said casing, a reciprocatingmember arranged in said casing, a spring acting on said reciprocatingmember holding same resiliently against movement, a

head connected with said reciprocating member and positioned normally inthe outer end of said sleeve when the sleeve is in its outer position, apair of pivotally mounted jaws surrounding said head and positioned inthe sleeve, said jaws substantially filling the end of said sleeve sothat they cannot move away from the head until moved to a positionbeyond the sleeve against action of said spring, and means forconnecting said jaws to a support.

6. A coupler of the character described comprising a two-part automaticcoupling mechanism formed so as to become automatically disengaged whena predetermined pull is exerted thereon, a pair of bars arrangedadjacent one of the parts of the coupler and a hook member connectedwith the other part of the coupler whereby the coupler only may be usedwhen mating parts are present and the hook member may be used whenmating parts are absent.

MAURICE J. ROCHE.

be cited for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

